Newsletter

Pop Rocks

Tick tock, watch the clock, because the deadline for submissions to this year's Singer-Songwriter contest is here. We will shut the door at 5 p.m. Friday and crank up voting in Applause on July 23.

We have about 30 entries, with six slots available in the finals. Finalists will have a performance taped and play a live set at the Arts in the Heart of Augusta festival on Sept. 19. The first-, second- and third-place winners, selected by a panel of judges at the Arts in the Heart show, will win $400, $200 and $100, respectively. First place also wins a big box of CDs and DVDs.

To enter the contest, send a recording of an original song to steven.uhles@augustachronicle.com, with contact information. For more information, call me at (706) 823-3626.

BIG (AL) IN JAPAN

I would be willing to offer a lot to follow the Jeremy Graham Band around during its upcoming tour of Japan.

It's not that I don't believe a Japanese audience will respond oddly to the Augusta act's superior blend of Nashville country and Southern rock. Nor do I believe the boys in the band will, in any way, embarrass Augusta with sake-fueled debaucheries. It takes more than that to embarrass us.

No, what I'm most interested in is the cultural meeting of the minds bound to occur when a Japanese promoter meets Big Al Beasley, a gentle giant of a man with a propensity for bear hugs. I can think of no finer diplomat, no more appropriate representative for Augusta's music community, than Al Beasley. I know that Japan will dig him as much as we do and enjoy the Jeremy Graham Band as much as I have.

A ROLLER BALL

Here's an idea I'm amused, entranced and appalled by -- all at the same time. On Saturday night, Sky City is holding a roller disco party. Though details remain sketchy, I can only assume that this will be an expansion on Sky City owner Coco Rubio's long-popular Disco Hell idea.

The difference, of course, is that Disco Hell never combined the nearly always hazardous combination of whiskey and wheels.

I don't mind people with some significant skate experience getting their roll on, but with the exception of our local roller derby ladies and perhaps some of the servers at Sonic, I'm not sure which Sky City patrons would qualify.

A concrete floor isn't dangerous, nor is a small spill, nor, necessarily, is strapping on a pair of skates. The combination of the three, well, that could be lethal.

It should be noted that although I'm skeptical as to the wisdom of such a venture, I'm not actually opposed to its taking place. My prediction is that it will be a lot like one of those semi-sadistic Japanese game shows (Big Al should be able to fill us in on those shortly).